The Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, announces that, due to refurbishment works, the Archaeological Museum of the Larnaka District will be closed to the public. It is expected that the Museum will reopen in the first half of 2018. The Department of Antiquities apologises in advance for any inconvenience caused.

The Archaeological Museum of the Larnaka District is located near the centre of town. Inaugurated in 1969, it originally consisted of two exhibition rooms. In 1987 and 1988 the Museum was enriched with new rooms and finds. Today it consists of four galleries where the disposition of objects follows a chronological succession so that the visitor may have a more complete picture of the historical development of the city of Kition and the District of Larnaka in general.

In the entrance hall of the Museum two large limestone sarcophagi are exhibited with anthropomorphic lids, male and female. These are rare 6th-5th century B.C. works of art with parallels in the eastern Mediterranean and especially Phoenicia (Sidon). At the eastern part of the entrance hall there is a replica of the important stele of Sargon II, which was found in Kition during the 19th century and is now at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. At the western part of the entrance hall there is a replica of a rare marble statue of the goddess Artemis which was found at Kition, at the temple of Artemis Paralia at the end of the 19th century. The original is on display at the Museum of History of Art in Vienna.

Room I displays objects dating to Prehistoric times and covers the chronological sequence from the Neolithic period to the end of the Middle Bronze Age. A large part of the finds exhibited in this room come from the important settlements of Choirokoitia and Kalavasos.

Room II reflects the historical development of the town and District of Larnaka during the final phases of the Late Bronze Age. The Larnaka area is particularly prolific as far as finds of this period are concerned. Special emphasis is given to the Mycenaean finds, some of which are unique, like the Mycenaean craters from Kalavasos and Pyla. In this Room finds from the Proto-Geometric period, which constitutes the transition between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, are also exhibited.

The exhibits in Room III represent the Cypro-Geometric and Cypro-Archaic periods to the early phases of the Classical period. The town of Larnaka was colonised by the Phoenicians in the initial phases of the Geometric period. The Cypro-Archaic period is represented by characteristic examples of local vessels as well as imported vessels from the islands of the eastern Aegean and from Ionia.

Room IV is the last exhibition room of the District Museum of Larnaka. It contains finds from the Classical period up to Roman times and the final phases of antiquity. A special case in this room is dedicated to metallurgy and contains copper and iron finds exhibited under environmentally controlled conditions. Another case features objects of special interest from a private collection donated to the District Museum of Larnaka. Inscribed stelae, monumental sculptures, architectural fragments and millstones are exhibited in the penthouse in the courtyard of the Museum. To the north of the penthouse, an olive-press dating to the Hellenistic period from the village of Mari has been reconstructed.

District/Address

Larnaka /Plateia Kalograion

Telephone

24304169

Opening hours

for Public Holiday opening hours see home page

Monday - Friday: 8.00-16.00Saturday: 9.00 - 16.00 Sunday: closedThe Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, announces that, due to refurbishment works, the Archaeological Museum of the Larnaka District will be closed to the public. It is expected that the Museum will reopen in the first half of 2018. The Department of Antiquities apologises in advance for any inconvenience caused.